According to MacKinnon, “Borgfest envisions a cultural, entertainment, education, and pride event for those whose bodies and identities have been intervened upon by technology whether by injury, illness, or intention. The longer we live, the likelihood of becoming a cyborg becomes greater. This festival celebrates and supports the cyborgs among us.” Says Alvarado, “Thwacke! saw a unique opportunity to step away from the science of fiction and offer a series of lectures from which a general audience of Borgfest attendees could benefit. Our offering will bring a symposium of speakers responsible for the basic research in fields that intersect with human augmentation such as neuroscience, physiology, and robotics. With our involvement, we expect to publicly advocate the research our group is responsible for and the ways it can directly benefit humankind.” MacKinnon adds, “Many Borgfest fans are no doubt fans of science fiction. Our partnership with Thwacke! will help our fans better understand the real world science behind the fiction that is shaping and evolving the possibilities of being human.”